Fantasy Becomes Reality
by KB-RC23
Summary: Alternate Episode Fic for Tick, Tick, Tick... and Boom! "...And in chapter 11, admit their attraction to one another and have sex." "It's fiction." Rated M. *Updated 03/27/16* Multiple chapter fic.
1. Fantasy Becomes Reality Part I

**This is for _DanielleMonroy_ on Twitter. Thank you for your prompt. I'm sorry it has taken so long to fulfill, but I hope you like it! Just a heads up, this will be a multiple chapter fic.**

* * *

 _"...And in chapter 11, admit their attraction to one another and have sex." -Agent Avery_

 _"It's fiction." -Katherine Beckett_

* * *

 **[Fantasy Becomes Reality]**

She sinks into him as his lips move against hers, teasing and savoring every bit of her. Kate's hands glide over his shoulders, memorizing the hard ridges of muscle under his shirt and jacket, soaking up the heat that radiates from him as his tongue finds hers.

Rick groans as her tongue massages his in a slow, sensual dance. His fingers wind into her hair, curling into her dark tresses as he cradles the back of her head in his palm, while his other hand finds its way under the hem of her shirt, only to stop before he reaches her warm skin. Kate's breath gets caught in her throat, and Rick pulls back, giving her a moment to make a decision.

SHe blinks at him, taking in the dark blue eyes glazed with lust and the parted lips he wets with his tongue as he tries to catch his breath, and her lips curve into a smile of satisfaction just before she kisses him. Rick responds immediately, his fingers closing on the fabric in order to yank it free from her waistband. His hand spreads over the bare skin of her back, holding her to him. He tears his mouth from hers and begins to press kisses to her cheek and jaw.

"Kate, we could get caught any second now. What if Shaw finds us? We're not exactly being discrete here," he huffs against her skin as he glances around the small supply closet they're currently hiding out in.

"We have time," Kate whispers as she tilts her head to grant him better access. "I need you, Castle. Now," she murmurs as he presses his open mouth to her neck and sucks gently.

Rick lifts his head and, unable to resist her words, says, "God, I want you too."

"Then take me," Kate says as she grasps the back of his head and pulls him back down to her neck.

Rick's teeth scrape over her earlobe before he presses his lips to her throat. She moans as she lowers her arms to his waist and slips her hands under his shirt, running them greedily over his back, urging him on by scraping her nails lightly over his skin. He lifts his head and kisses her softly, nipping at her lips as he presses his hand into her back to steady her and begins walking her toward the back corner of the supply closet, to the shelves.

"More, more," Kate repeats as she tugs on the lapels of his jacket, bringing his body flush with hers.

"I want more than sex, Kate," he tells her bluntly as he pulls back to look her in the eye.

"So much more," she answers firmly.

Eyes on hers, Rick gathers her shirt in his hands and lifts it over her stomach. Kate raises her arms in compliance, allowing him to strip it over her head. When he tosses the shirt aside, she gives her hair a little shake to settle it back into place, and he smiles.

Rick then reaches for the button on her pants, his fingers drawing the zipper slowly down. "Damn," he mutters as he sees the top of her black lace panties. He looks up at her with a sheepish smile and says, "You're trying to kill me, aren't you?"

She smiles at his admission, before kissing him teasingly and then whispering, "Not sure I know what you mean."

"Oh, I'm sure you do," he answers with a smirk as the tip of one finger skims the top her panties.

Kate smiles and begins to work her pants down over her hips, swaying side to side enticingly. Rick steps back, holding her arm to steady her as she toes off her heels and strips off her work slacks.

"You're right. I do know," she smirks.

Rick hesitates for a moment, drinking in the sight of her in nothing but a matching set of lace bra and panties. He then lunges for her, crushing her under his weight as he covers her, and presses hot wet kisses to her neck before seeking her lips.

Kate runs her hands through his hair as he kisses his way down her throat. He draws the tender flesh into his mouth and sucks hard. She smiles as she runs her hands over his shoulders and back, gathering his untucked button-down in her fingers. Rick grunts and pushes back, yanking first the jacket off before quickly unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it to the other side of the small room. He quickly presses himself against her again, groaning as his skin meets hers for the first time.

He presses a trail of kisses along the strap of her bra and down across the tops of her breasts. Kate arches her back up, urging him to take more. Rick reaches behind her to unhook her bra, brushing the straps down her arms, and looks down as he peels the lacy fabric from her. He exhales a rush of hot breath as her breasts are revealed to him.

He swallows then says in a gravelly voice, "You're gorgeous."

Kate can't help but moan as he cups her breasts in both hands and squeezes them gently. He covers them with the palms of his hands, feeling her nipples pressing into his hands as he pushes her breasts together, memorizing the very shape and feel of them.

Rick lowers his lips to one hardened peak and draws it into his mouth, earning more moans from Kate as she threads her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. She gasps as his rough stubble brushes her tender skin. He suckles her greedily, his tongue soothing the tip, his teeth teasing it mercilessly.

Kate's hips buck as she pants, "Now."

"God, yes," Rick murmurs as he moves to the other breast and begins the delicious torture all over again. He grinds against her leg, mindlessly thrusting against her as he aches for her to touch him. He slides one hand down to her hip, and lets his fingers lay along the edge her panties. He slips one finger underneath, and she sighs, pushing up at him wantonly as he sucks her harder. He can feel her heat before he grazes the mound of her sex, and groans against her, the vibrations shooting through to the very core of her and sending another rush of desire flooding through her veins.

"Please," she whispers as she thrusts against his hand, inching closer and closer to climax...

* * *

Kate bursts awake, her chest heaving as she takes in her surroundings, finding that she's in her bedroom alone. Sweat covers her body as she adjusts the large, pink shirt as it had ridden up her midriff.

It had been a dream. A vivid and all too real dream, but a dream nonetheless.

She can feel the wetness pooling between her legs, the thin material of her leggings drenched. Sitting up, knees to her chest, she rests her forehead on her legs and sucks in a deep breath.

"Just a dream," she tells herself. "It was just a dream. Doesn't mean a thing. It's because of this case," she reasons, lifting her head and sighing in acceptance as she tries to believe the lie she's telling herself. "I'm merely worked up. Yeah, that's it."

Slowly getting out of bed, Kate slips into a pair of ballet flats she'd set beside her bed the night before and heads to the bathroom, startling herself at her disheveled appearance in the mirror. Damp hair plastered to her forehead as a few strands stick up in odd places, then she notices her face, the pink glow of her cheeks and the perspiration on her neck and collarbone.

She looks as if she just had one hell of a good lay.

"You practically did," she murmurs.

Quickly deciding she can't walk out like this, especially when the man who starred in her dream was asleep on her couch, acting as her protector.

Wait, is he still here? she wonders, glancing over her shoulder out toward her closed bedroom door, eyes squinting shut as if she could see through the walls to find him still there.

She starts to make herself a bit more presentable, adding a hint of lip gloss to her lips. It's not for Castle, she thinks as she applies the light pink gloss. It's _not._

She thinks the same as she applies a hint of eyeliner to her lids.

* * *

"You're still here?" She asks, trying to hide the happiness in her voice as she finds him in her kitchen. "And you're making pancakes?"

"I was hoping for bacon and eggs, but your eggs were expired and your bacon," he says before gesturing toward the fridge with a disgusted look, "has something furry on it."

Kate's not sure what to say. He's still here and he's making her breakfast. There's a small smile forming on her lips, but she quickly suppresses it. "Yeah, well. I mostly order in," she tells him as a lame excuse.

Rick nods his head, his back to her. "Figured that from the Styrofoam temple you got going on in your refrigerator."

Watching him with a careful eye, she takes in his appearance and a tingling sensation low in her belly makes its presence known. His hair flops down over his forehead in a way that looks as if it's been played with, and his undershirt is sticking out beneath his sweater like it had been put on as quickly and as haphazardly as possible.

Irresistible is the word that comes to Kate's mind.

Biting her lip, she hums in response, wrapping her arms around her torso, and attempts to pull herself together. Kate may have been dreaming about him before, but the man in front of her was certainly not a figment of her imagination.

Rick continues to talk, without the slightest clue as the hot, desperate woman near him fights every urge to pounce him and make her dream a reality. "Coffee's brewed. Think your filter's broken though. I'll order you a new one later," he says while bringing the breakfast to her countertop.

The food smells and looks delicious, and it distracts Kate only for a split second. "Wow, looks like you've thought of everything."

"Except the paper," he realizes with a snap of his fingers, a bit upset with himself that he could've forgotten such an important part of the breakfast experience.

What's breakfast without stimulating reading to wake you up? he thinks, bounding toward her front door.

Pouring herself some coffee, "Castle," Kate keeps her voice calm and level, which surprises her considering just how horny she. "We don't have time for the paper. There's a body out there that I gotta find."

At the sound of a loud thud on her floor and Rick's gasp, Kate turns, thinking he tripped or ran into something. But when she looks down to see a bloody corpse in her entryway, all dirty thoughts fly out the window.

She meets his gaze, shock written on his face. "Looks like it found you."

Talk about a mood killer, Kate thinks as she sets down the pot of coffee and goes in search of her phone. She's all business as she instructs Rick to not touch the body while she waits for Shaw to answer her call.

"Shaw, it's Beckett. You need to get here as soon as possible."

* * *

"...Once you're dressed, of course," Shaw says in a tone that causes a blush to appear on Kate's cheeks. The agent quickly walks away, sharing a knowing look with Ryan and Esposito, who soon follow her.

Rick stops in front of Kate, sighing as he looks down at the unidentified woman who is now carefully being placed in a body bag by two scene investigators.

"Well that was an eventful morning," he muses, sticking his hands in his jeans while looking up at Kate.

That's when he notices the pink flush on her cheeks, wondering what caused her to feel embarrassed. He then hears the sound of the boys snickering down the hallway and comes to the answer of his unspoken question.

"Don't worry about Ryan and Esposito," he brushes off with a wave of his hand and a smile. "They're doing what they do best, reading into simple, innocent gestures and making them out to be something they're not."

Kate mumbles, with her eyes cast down at the floor, "Yeah."

"You gonna be okay?"

She eventually looks up at him, a forced smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Once all of this is over, I'll be just fine."

Shifting on his feet, Rick can tell she's just putting on a front and he doesn't want to make her any more upset, so he changes the subject. "So, you mind if we swing by my place after you're ready? I sort of spilled some coffee on my sweater," he chuckles, tugging at the black sweater that had a distinct darkened spot on the chest.

A genuine smile greets him and he's glad he was able to lighten the mood, even if it was at the expense of his clumsiness. Kate nods, motioning to head to her bedroom to change but a strong hand on her wrist stops her.

"Kate?"

Her brow furrows in concern at the softness of his voice. "Hmm?"

Without speaking, he simply leans down so that his face is right next to hers; his warm breath sends chills down her spine. The press of his lips on her cheek shocks her, not expecting him to do such an act, especially with all of the investigators and technicians still running around her apartment. Kate's breath hitches as he lingers a little longer than would be deemed appropriate.

He suddenly pulls back and clears his throat. The loss of his lips on her skin causes her to involuntarily moan, wishing he'd continue. Slowly opening her eyes, Kate realizes she didn't even remember closing them as she stares blankly up at Rick.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes, fingers threading through his hair as he keeps his eyes glued to the floor. "Don't know why I did that."

Her throat is dry and the pulsing need in her lower belly is back with a fury. She opens her mouth to speak but can't find the right words, so she takes a step forward and curls a finger under his chin so he meets her eyes.

"Don't be sorry," she whispers, giving him a small smile. "I– I liked it."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," she confirms, dropping her hand to her side. "Now, we should hurry. I'll be out in five minutes, then we can head to your place before going to the morgue." Kate pivots and takes long strides toward her bedroom. "Oh, and Castle?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for breakfast."

His smile matches hers as he replies, "My pleasure."

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 **Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23 and Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23.**


	2. Fantasy Becomes Reality Part II

**Thanks for your patience. You might want to reread the first chapter as a refresher before this one. Also, this chapter is more of a filler to get the story moving, so please bear with me. Thanks and enjoy!**

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 **[Fantasy Becomes Reality Part II]**

Something didn't add up. It was too easy, too convenient. And the more Rick frets over every tiny detail of this case, the more worried he becomes.

"Ben Conrad didn't kill himself," Rick puts together, the files and photographs sprawled out in front of him as the puzzle comes together. "Ben Conrad was murdered by the man in the window. Ben's not our killer; the real killer was just playing with us."

"But the evidence," Alexis reasons, grabbing the photos in a frantic attempt to help her father.

"No," her father starts, "it was— it was planted there to lead us to Ben. He wanted us to think it's over. He wants us to drop our guard. He wants to make a big scene… Nikki will burn." Rick's face immediately drops, the realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. "Beckett."

Martha and Alexis watch as he rushes to the phone, his mind running a mile a minute with thoughts of his partner and best friend going up in flames. It's his fault, he keeps telling himself. If he had never written the character of Nikki Heat, then none of this would be happening.

The guilt resides low in his belly as he, with hurried but shaking fingers, dials the phone while explaining everything to the two red heads before him, "Montgomery took the detail off her place. She's alone."

It rings once. Twice. Then finally a third time before he is being forward to her voicemail, which does nothing to calm his overactive imagination. The flames are now brighter and more consuming in his mind, the heat kissing her skin as she disappears into the inferno.

"She's not picking up," he says, practically racing for his keys and wallet as he heads toward the door in blind desperation. He neglects grabbing a jacket, not concerned with being bothered by the cold.

It wasn't the cold that concerned him; it was the heat.

"Call the precinct," he instructs, opening the door, "Tell them to get over there right way. Tell them we were wrong! Tell them the killer is still alive!" Turning toward Alexis, he orders, "Lock this door behind me. Don't let anyone in."

And in flash he was racing toward the elevator, pounding on the call button. Why the hell is the elevator so damn slow? Unable to help but feel frustrated, he ditches the elevator and runs toward the stairs, taking two at a time. Once he reaches the lobby, he ushers a cab and hastily gives the driver Kate's address before slipping him more money than necessary in an attempt to make the man drive faster.

He needs to get to her, and fast. If that means breaking the law, so be it. He didn't care. All that matters is Kate.

* * *

It's over.

This nightmare is finally over, and Kate has never felt more relieved than she does now as the warm water cascades down her body, the worry and fear disappearing as quickly as the steam that fills the room.

Her muscles protest at her movements, the ache deep down in her bones. The past few days wearing on her as she struggles to reach up and wash her back, groaning in pain at the slightest raise of her arms. She grits through it, stepping back under the spray and taking a deep breath, before slowly moving to clean the rest of her body of the grime and sweat, a reminder of the hell she has been through in the last few days.

Kate's thoughts drift to Castle and the all too realistic dream she had the previous night. She smiles to herself as she thinks of the writer, curious as to what he's doing right now...

* * *

The cab ride feels like an eternity. He definitely didn't pay the man as much money as he did to go at this slow of a pace. He slams his hand against the bench seat next to him impatiently as the cab stopped at another red light. Huffing out a deep breath, he takes his phone out of his pants pocket and begins to dial her phone number again, praying she answers this time.

"Pick up. Come on, Beckett."

He receives her voicemail again and swears under his breath.

Looking outside, he studies his surroundings and decides that he's close enough to her apartment as is, so he orders the driver to stop and he jumps out before the cab comes to a full stop. The driver yells at him in frustration, but Rick ignores the man as he tries to call her again while he dodges in and out of the crowded street.

"Beckett, Beckett, pick up the phone! Pick it up!"

He hears a click on the other end of the line, signaling an answer.

"Hey, Castle," she says breathlessly and he can hear the smile in her voice. "Sorry, I saw you've been trying to reach me. Is everything okay?"

The smile immediately fades from her face as his panicked voice comes through the phone in a quick reply. "It wasn't Ben Conrad! He's not the killer! The killer's still alive! The killer's still alive!"

"Wait," she starts, straightening up and gaining her composure, "That can't be. He committed suicide, and we—"

She's stopped by the sound of an automated voice coming from somewhere in her apartment. _"Goodbye, Nikki. Goodbye."_

Kate has no time to think as drops her phone and dives for her bathtub mere seconds before the blast rocks her entire apartment, sending it up in flames.

Outside, Rick is halted in his tracks as the flames consume the apartment. Debris falls onto the streets below as a crowd begins to form, all eyes directed toward the burning building as they stand in shock.

His heart breaks as he tries to make sense of what he has just seen. His phone hangs limp in his hand as hunches over, dry heaving in the middle of the street. A few members of the crowd come over to check on him, concern in their voices, but he brushes them off. Straightening up, his eyes fall on the flames once more before he throws caution to the wind and books it toward the burning building.

He can feel the heat in the hallway as he approaches her apartment. That only makes him run faster. He tries to kick the door down, but it doesn't budge. Rick takes a few steps back then throws his entire weight against it and the door finally comes down, but with him on top of it. He hisses at the heat and stands up, carefully navigating her apartment while trying to avoid the flames and burning himself.

"Kate!" He calls out, eyes squinting through the smoke as he searches for her, "Kate!" No reply. He tries again, but with the same response. Deciding to not waste any more time, he goes from room to room with a bit of difficulty, but he manages. He pushes large piles of wood out of his way as he scans what is left of her apartment.

The distant sound of coughing catches his attention and he makes his way toward her bathroom. "Kate?" He can barely make out her form in the haze of smoke and flames, but she's here and she's alive. His heart pounds loudly in his chest as he reaches her but he stops abruptly in his tracks as he takes her in.

Her back is to him, but he can't miss the massive amount of bare skin before his eyes.

"Kate, you're alive. Oh, and you're naked."

"Castle, turn around!"

He grudgingly obliges, but then says, "You know, your apartment is on fire. Now might not be the best time for modesty."

She curls her knees up in front of her chest, raising an arm she asks him for a towel but, like most of her belongings, they are on fire. She asks for the bathrobe but that too is on fire.

"Do you have anything nonflammable?" He asks as he turns around, trying to look for something for her to wear. His eyes glance at her naked form without her noticing his roaming gaze, and he knows— _he_ _knows_ —now is not the right time to be gawking at her like this, but he can't help it.

"Is there anything, that's not on fire, that I can use to cover myself up with?" She wonders, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"I have my sweater," he suggests after a brief pause, already taking off the item of clothing and leaving him clad in his white undershirt, which quickly becomes dark with the smoke and dust that fills the air. There are a few burn holes along the front and edges of the blue sweater; it'll have to do. "Sorry I don't have a jacket, but it's the best I can do, given the circumstances."

"Okay," she breathes, seeing that her options were very limited. It's either his sweater or her birthday suit.

She slowly stands, forgoing modesty as he steps toward her. Rick does his best to keep his gaze, and his hands for that matter, from traveling along her body as he helps her into the sweater, which ends at mid-thigh, covering her up as much as it can. He takes note of the large gash on her left wrist, as well as the many small cuts and bruises that decorate her entire body.

"God, Kate. You look terrible," he murmurs while helping her step out of the tub. "Are you okay?"

He has one hand on the small of her while the other grips her arm tightly. Kate presses her body into his, the tug and pull of his muscles underneath the thin white shirt evident as she keens into him.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Little banged up. Think I twisted my ankle when I dove into the tub."

He glances down at her words, his eyes gliding down her legs and he can see that she's hardly putting any pressure on her right foot. Oh, that's not good.

"Here," he offers before she can object, one arm tucking under her legs as the other wraps around her waist. He lifts her into his embrace, proceeding to carry her outside as the sound of sirens echo from outside.

Under normal circumstances, she would never let this type of behavior slide, but these aren't normal circumstances, so she lets him have this one. She won't admit it to herself, but his body pressing so closely against her warms her belly in a way it shouldn't, especially not now.

It's then, she decides, that once this nightmare is over— for good this time— she's going to tell him how she really feels. No reason to fight it any longer.

She ducks her head into the space between his shoulder and his neck, breathing him in. "Thanks for coming after me," she whispers with a smile.

He smiles softly down at her, nodding his head, as they make their way through the debris. "Let's get you patched up."

Rick carefully maneuvers them through and around the debris, being wary of Kate in his arms as she holds onto him in a tight grip. Her eyes gaze at the large mass of wood that used to be her front door and chuckles lightly, the sound unexpected but not unwelcome.

"It's killing you, isn't it?" She ponders, raising her head to look up at him with a big smile on her face.

He returns her gaze, an eyebrow raising in question at both her question and her smile. "What?"

"Having to wait this long to tell me how you banged down the door."

Rick laughs at that, his body rumbling against Kate's, as he steps through the entryway and heads down the hallway. "You want me to start from the beginning?"

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